


All I Want For Christmas...

by mdelpin, Oryu404



Series: Fairy Tail Dads AU [18]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Christmas holiday, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Getting Back Together, M/M, Magnolia Dad's Club, Meeting the Parents, Mutual Pining, Romance, Travel, Tumblr: FTLGBTales, ftdadsau, ftlgbtholidays2019
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21880186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/pseuds/mdelpin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oryu404/pseuds/Oryu404
Summary: They've broken up months ago, when Sting's year as an exchange student in Magnolia had come to an end and he had to return to Edolas, but when Rogue is invited to spend Christmas holidays with Sting and his parents, they are temporarily reunited. Twelve days is all Rogue has to decide between letting Sting go, or giving in to his feelings and brave the heartbreak that's bound to happen when distance will separate them again.
Relationships: Rogue Cheney/Sting Eucliffe
Series: Fairy Tail Dads AU [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1555675
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18
Collections: Fairy Tail Dads AU, Fairy Tail LGBTales, Home for the Holidays 2019





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Home for the holidays, prompt: Strength
> 
> Want to talk with us about Fairy Tail, other animes, writing, or our stories? Click on the link to join our discord [The Unholy Trinity](https://discord.gg/HTnthVNZ3V)!

****  
  
_ December 23, 2013 _

Seat 17D.

During the two-plus hours Rogue had spent waiting at the airport until it was time to board, he had checked his ticket often enough to know it by heart now. He made his way through the middle aisle of the plane, seats A and B were on his right, C and D on his left, so he was lucky enough to have a window seat. When he found it, he sat down and sent a message from his phone to inform Sting that he was on the plane, before turning on airplane mode.

The plane was pleasantly warm, so he took off his thick winter coat and put it underneath the seat in front of him. He put his carry on bag there as well, carefully as to not break the bottle of wine he had bought at one of the duty-free shops, and fastened his seat belt.

People were still boarding the plane, so Rogue decided to wait before taking a nap or immersing himself in the fictional world of his own writing until after the departure had been announced. There was a card inside the pocket of the seat in front of him. From the icons on it, he could see it was an instruction for on-board safety, so he kept himself busy inspecting it.

“Good morning!”

Rogue looked up from the card to see who had greeted him. A loud young woman with long, silvery-white hair was taking up the seat next to him. She carried a medium-sized suitcase with a design of white angel wings on the front. It was too large to fit under the seat, so she stored it in the luggage compartment above them.

“Morning,” Rogue grumbled. It was just past 7, and he had been up and about since 3 AM, getting ready and reaching the airport two hours before departure, as was advised. 

The last thing he wanted right now was to engage in small talk with a stranger. He pulled his hoodie over his head and stared out the window, hoping that the girl would take the hint he was giving with his unsociable behavior.

“Man, what a drag! I never fly this early, but I wanted to surprise my little sister before she got home from work,” the girl yapped. Either she ignored the hints he was giving her, or she was too dense to pick up on them. “Are you visiting family for the holidays as well?”

Rogue slowly turned towards her again, wondering what answer he should give her. He rarely told any lies, but perhaps _ ‘no, I’m going to stay with the ex I’m not over yet and celebrate the holidays with him and his parents,’ _ wasn’t the best way to avoid any more questions. 

“Yeah, I will be spending the holidays with family,” he answered instead. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t actually lying. He just failed to specify that it wasn’t his own family he was visiting.

The anxiety he’d managed to suppress for most of the day was suddenly rising up within him. Both from thinking about his own family and from the thought of seeing Sting again after almost half a year. 

In-person, that is. 

They still texted a lot, and video chatted almost daily. In terms of getting someone out of your head and out of your heart, this was by far the dumbest thing to do. They both knew that, and yet neither of them was fully ready to let go. 

Maybe he should have just bit the bullet and dragged himself through another lonely Christmas break with alcohol and comfort food. As depressing as it may have been, it would probably pale in comparison to how he’d feel on his return flight.

“Are you okay? Your face is whiter than a sheet of paper.”

Rogue put the safety instructions back inside the seat pocket and hid his hands inside the pocket of his hoodie. “I’m fine,” he muttered between breaths, and explained it away with something that was, again, not really a lie, but only a part of the truth. “It’s just my first time flying, that’s all.”

“Oh God, you’re not going to barf, are you?” The girl grimaced and scooted towards the other end of her seat, as far away from him as possible. She handed him a brown paper bag that she pulled out of the seat pocket of the seat in front of her, “here, you can have mine, I don’t need it anyway.”

Just when Rogue wanted to refuse the offer, the crackling of white noise started coming out of the plane’s intercom. The captain’s voice started making some announcements. The flight attendants demonstrated the use of oxygen masks and life vests, pointed out the location of the safety exits and checked the seatbelts. Once the captain had wished everyone a pleasant flight, the intercom went off again. The plane started rolling forward, and takeoff was initiated.

“Takeoff and landing are the worst. Once we’re up in the air, you won’t even know we’re moving most of the time. Oh yeah, and the change of pressure is going to do some annoying shit to your ears. Want some bubblegum? The chewing helps.”

Rogue was ready to protest that he wasn’t  _ that  _ stressed out, that the only annoying thing happening to his ears right now was her voice, but then the engines started roaring, and the plane accelerated quickly. He looked out the small window, heart racing as the surroundings flew by, and at a sudden tilt of the aircraft, started getting smaller. 

The airport disappeared into the distance as they flew across the capital. All of its tall buildings now looked like miniatures of a model. He held his breath and watched in awe, thinking that it was almost as if he was flying on his own, soaring through the sky like a bird. It made him feel free, but at the same time, the thought that home, his city, his country, were all far away now brought some of the nerves back again. Once they breached the clouds, it was all out of sight, and he wished that he had accepted the bubblegum.

~~~ 

Once Rogue had retrieved his luggage and made it through customs and passport control, he followed the stream of travelers into the arrival hall. It wasn’t a surprise to see a lot of people waiting there to reunite with their loved ones. Christmas was only two days from now, after all. Hugs and kisses were exchanged, and the sounds of happy chattering bounced off the walls, the whole scene sent a wave of emotions through him that he suppressed with all his might. 

_ ‘No, not now, pull yourself together,’ _ Rogue mentally reprimanded himself, closing his eyes and breathing through the moment until it subsided. He searched through the crowd, looking for that familiar face, nervous just like he had been during both takeoff and landing, if not worse. 

And then he found him, eyes blue like the sky that seemed to sparkle as soon as they met Rogue’s own. His smile was bright enough to light up the whole room, and Rogue could only think one thing when he approached him, rolling his heavy suitcase along over the smooth airport flooring.

_ ‘How am I going to survive myself around you for the next twelve days?’ _

Sting met him halfway, his happy grin now reduced to a shy smile. His hands were in his pockets and his gaze ping-ponged between Rogue and the floor. He was nervous as well, and that made sense, but he pulled Rogue in for a hug anyway. 

Rogue tried not to dwell on how much he had missed this, the warmth and closeness and the scent of whatever that cursed cologne he was wearing was, but it was over way too soon. When they pulled away, there was a short second of hesitation, a kiss waiting to happen, but neither of them followed through.

“Uhm...hey, how was your flight?” Sting immediately took over the suitcase as they crossed the hallway into the airport’s main hall, and Rogue just let him. 

_ ‘My dad taught me to always be a gentleman,’ _ he remembered him saying when he asked him what the deal with all the cheesy gestures was. It took Rogue a while to get used to it, and he’d probably have to get used to it again, now that their break-up didn’t seem to be a reason for that to change. 

“It was alright,” Rogue shrugged. “Getting on and off the plane was a hassle, but the flight itself went by pretty quickly. I think I slept through half of it, to be honest.”

“That’s good, you must have been up really early. When was the last time you ate?” 

Rogue checked his watch. It was almost noon, but that was Magnolian time. Edolas was two hours ahead, so that meant it should be around 2 PM now. He made a mental note to readjust his watch to display the right time later. 

“I had breakfast at home before I left, and coffee and a snack at Crocus airport while waiting. Guess that’s been a while.”

“Hungry?”

“Yeah, but-” Rogue stopped in front of a gift shop, something that had been on his mind but was forgotten over nerves and resurfacing memories suddenly came back to him. “There’s something I want to do first,” he revealed, and without any further explanation, Rogue entered the gift shop to buy some flowers to go with the wine, determined to show his gratitude to his hosts and maybe give himself a moment or two to compose himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Home For The Holidays  
> Prompt: Meet the parents

Sting had suspected beforehand that this was going to be a very complicated holiday, but after seeing Rogue again for the first time in almost half a year, he immediately knew he had underestimated everything. He had missed him so much, and he knew Rogue had missed him as well, but he never considered the tension between them would be this high. Every look, every move, and every spoken word lingered in uncertainty, as neither of them really knew how to act or what to expect.

Sitting together and having lunch had been awkward. Where there used to be loving gazes, subtle touches, and delighted smiles, there was now an uncomfortable distance. Periods of heavy silence were an interlude of their sparse conversations, and the forty-minute car ride back to Sting's house hadn't been that much better.

"We're here," Sting announced when he drove up the driveway and into the garage, where his parents' car was already parked.

He was slightly nervous, wondering what they would think of Rogue. Grabbing the luggage from the trunk, he imagined Rogue had to feel the same, if not worse. He showed the way through the door that led directly into the house, through a short hallway connecting to the kitchen, and just as he expected, his parents were sitting at the island counter in anticipation.

"There you are!" his father greeted them warmly, "and welcome to Edolas!" 

He rose up from his seat to shake Rogue's hand and exchange introductions, and much to Sting's horror, it was about as embarrassing as he imagined it would be. 

"So you're the young man Sting couldn't stop talking about! Nice to meet you son, I'm Weisslogia Eucliffe, and this is my lovely wife, Skiadrum." 

"Awesome, dad…" Sting sighed, using the palm of his hand to hide his eyes behind. 

"Rogue Fullbuster- " Rogue returned the handshake with a polite smile, "nice to meet you too, Mr. and Mrs. Eucliffe, and thank you so much for having me." 

Sting could barely watch him hand over the flowers he had bought at the gift shop to his mom, and a bottle of wine to his dad, dreading their reactions. Or more accurately, dreading more of their inevitable teasing. 

"It's only something small, but I hope you like it." 

"Is this Magnolian wine?" Weisslogia inspected the label, "that's a great gift, I really appreciate it!"

Skiadrum pulled Rogue into one of her motherly hugs, "No need to thank us, sweetie, it's the least we could do. You took our son in for months, and when Sting told us about your parents, we thought this would be a nice way to give something back." 

"I hope they're alright?" she added, and though she broke the embrace, the hand that wasn't holding on to the flowers stayed on Rogue's shoulder just a little longer, and Sting had no trouble recognizing the look she gave him. 

"Yeah, just really busy," Rogue assured her. "I spoke to them on the phone right before I boarded the plane. They were pleased to hear I wasn't staying home alone for the holidays and asked me to pass on their gratitude as well. I guess I should let them know I arrived safely." 

"That's a great idea, I'll go put these in water. They're beautiful, it would be a shame to let them wilt." Sting's mother then turned to him, suggesting, "why don't you go hang up your coats, and then you can give Rogue a tour of the house." 

"Sure!" Sting was ready and waiting to get Rogue and himself out of there before his parents could embarrass him again, but it seemed like he wasn't off the hook just yet. He could only be thankful that his mom blocked Rogue's view of her face with that bouquet of flowers when she grinned at him and mouthed the words  _ he’s really cute. _

Granted that he didn't need her to point that out to him, he rolled his eyes at her and took what little solace he could from the fact that Rogue had left a good first impression. 

~~~ 

"And last but not- actually, probably least since I kind of made a mess, this is my room." Sting swung his bedroom door open and cringed at the sight. 

He had been a ball of nerves and excitement last night, so sleep was something he'd only had a brief affair with, which caused him to snooze through his overly early set alarm. When his mother eventually dragged him out of bed, a minor panic attack caused him to whirl around the room like a tornado when he got ready, and with no time left to clean up after himself, the result of said whirling was now staring him in the face. 

"I'm not even surprised," Rogue shrugged as he looked around, ignoring the unmade bed and all the clothes lying on the floor, and focusing on the decorations instead. His eyes went from the collection of pictures on the wall next to the bed- more than one of them had him in it-, to the string of fairy lights hanging above them. "It's nice though." 

"Thanks- " Sting fiddled with the stud in his left ear, "so...you're free to pick one of the guest rooms…" He paused. They had started sharing a bed a couple of months before he left Magnolia, but as much as he wanted to suggest they'd do that again, he felt like he shouldn't. Yet the thought of the distance of separate rooms between them, after there had already been so much distance before, didn't feel right either. 

"Or...you could...stay in my room? I have a-" he tripped over his words as he kicked the clothes to the side and pulled a drawer with a mattress out from underneath his bed, "a...thing." 

The fitted sheet around the mattress was covered in dust, looking as uninviting as could get. For the second time since entering his room, Sting cringed. Everything sure was going fucking swimmingly so far. He peeled the sheet off the mattress and put it in his laundry basket, carefully so he wouldn't send a big cloud of dust to spread around the room. Luckily, the mattress itself looked good as new. 

"A thing that needs clean sheets." He was fully convinced Rogue would pass, because honestly, why wouldn't he? But after a few seconds of silent consideration on Rogue's part, and preparing for rejection on Sting's, the answer seemed to surprise them both. 

"Yeah, that's fine." 

"Okay, then uhm...I'll go get your stuff and some fresh sheets, and you can call your parents." Sting quickly grabbed a few clothes off the floor in a weak attempt to make the room look decent, making a mental note to fold them and put them back into the closet later as he dumped them on his pillow. Rogue's luggage was in the hallway, so he went to grab it and move it to the bedroom, but before he could get a pillow and blanket from one of the guest rooms, his mom called him from downstairs. 

The muffled sound of Rogue's voice coming from his bedroom indicated he was already on the phone, so Sting decided not to barge in with the bedding yet and answer his mother's call first instead. 

~~~

Sting opened the sliding door that led to their deck and stepped out, not paying much attention to anything except getting the wood for the fireplace his mother had requested. At the very least, it would keep him from eavesdropping on Rogue's conversation. Not that he needed to listen to know what was being said. So far, things had been kind of terrible.

“What’s the matter with  _ you _ ?”

Sting turned to see his father standing against the balcony, pipe in hand.

“I thought mom wanted you to quit that,” Sting responded as he closed the door behind him, eyeing the pipe his father had been about to light with disgust.

“That wasn’t what I asked you,” Weiss pointed out, “Why do you look so glum, isn’t this what you had been waiting for all these months?”

“Yeah,” Sting sighed, “I just didn’t expect it to be this hard.”

Sting was annoyed to see his father chuckling at him, “Don’t tell me you were actually expecting to just pick up where you left off.”

“You know, Dad, I hardly think you are one to be giving me any dating advice, you were dating mom for five years without even realizing it.”

“Perhaps, but all these years later, I still have her, don’t I,” Weiss smirked at Sting as he continued his attempts to light his pipe.

“You went from unofficially dating her straight to a marriage proposal, I highly doubt that would work in my situation.”

“You never know what you can accomplish until you try,” Weiss winked, a sappy grin on his face.

Sting had no retort to that, “It’s just so awkward, I don’t know what to say to make things normal again.”

"There is no such thing as normal when it comes to relationships, Son. They are constantly changing, and we have to learn to adapt to them. You two haven't been together in months, it's only natural to be scared of being hurt again."

“You’re right, I know you are, I just missed him so much, you know?”

"He's here, Sting, I think that's very telling. Think of things you enjoyed doing together and do them. Show him you remember, that you still care, and above all, have fun!"

Sting stared at his father as if he had lost his mind. Have fun? Have fun?! How was he supposed to have fun when Rogue was barely talking? Still, as much as he hated to admit it, the advice wasn't all bad. His father was right about one thing. Rogue would never have come if he didn't feel anything anymore. He just had to remember that.

He went down the stairs only to have his father stop him. “Where are you going?”

"To the shed to get the wood mom—," Sting stopped mid-sentence when his father started chuckling again, "Ugh, I hate it when you two do the weird mind-meld thing. Sting opened the sliding door once again, closing it on the sound of his father's laughter.

~~~

All teasing, meddling, and embarrassment aside, Sting was actually relieved when his parents kept the conversations going, asking Rogue all sorts of questions about himself and Magnolia. Not that they didn't know most of this stuff already, because- as his dad had been so kind as to mention- Sting had already told them. It was a great strategy nonetheless. 

Rogue was loosening up and even laughed at the dinner table when Skia told him about the time she found out it was a terrible idea to let Sting and Weiss take care of a pigeon that had flown into the house. But Sting could tell Rogue was fighting his exhaustion, understandably, since he had been on a 7 AM flight and probably hadn't slept more than a few hours counting the ones on the plane. And Sting hadn't gotten much sleep either, so right after dessert, he suggested they'd go upstairs and get ready for bed. Tomorrow was another day, already filled with plans to show Rogue the capital and go shopping for Christmas presents. If they wanted to enjoy it, they should get a good rest first. 

While Rogue was in the bathroom going through his nightly routine, Sting took the opportunity to make the guest bed and tidy up the bedroom a little bit. He sloppily folded his clothes and stuffed them into his closet, neglecting his earlier resolution to put them away neatly. 

Once Rogue was done, it was his turn, and although he hadn't been gone for long, he was still surprised to see Rogue hadn't fallen asleep yet by the time he re-entered the bedroom. 

"It's been quite a day, huh?" he yawned as he switched off the ceiling lamp, leaving the fairy lights as the only source of light in the room.

He crawled underneath the covers lazily, trying to ignore the disappointment at having this much space all to himself. Like his father had said, he couldn't expect them to pick up right where they left off, but how was he supposed to be anything other than wistful when they were so close to each other, and yet still so far away? 

Rogue hummed in agreement and turned to his side, so he was facing Sting. They were both beat, physically drained from lack of sleep, and even more so from dealing with their emotions, but Sting didn't want to just call it a night yet. Not now that they finally had a peaceful moment together again. There were so many things he wanted to say or ask, but the words just wouldn't leave his mouth, leaving them to look at each other in hesitant silence. 

"Your parents are really nice," Rogue was the first to speak up, pulling the blankets up higher and wrapping them around himself. 

"Well, it seems like they like you a lot, but they can be a bit much sometimes,” Sting chuckled. “Just wait until Christmas, you’ll see what I mean.”

He wanted to tell him he still liked him a lot too, but Rogue smiled weakly and already closed his eyes. Maybe this wasn't the kind of thing to bring up after such a tiring day, so Sting figured they should just go to sleep. He was about to say good night, but then Rogue beat him to it.

"I'm glad I came," he said sleepily, "Good night, Sting." 

And as Sting tried to calm his racing heart down, he replied, "Me too. Goodnight, Rogue," and turned off the fairy lights. 

Filled with new hope for what tomorrow would bring them, and determination to take his dad's advice, sleep came over him in no time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Home For The Holidays  
> Prompt: Lights  
> (Although the event may be over at this point, this story was largely inspired by the prompts. We will continue to list them at the beginning of each chapter)

_  
December 24, 2013_

The first thing Rogue did when he woke up was turn around, resolute in his desire to go straight back to sleep for as long as he could. But as he did, he soon realized that it wasn't his own bed he was tossing and turning in, and at that moment, everything came rushing back to him.

He stretched and opened his eyes to look at Sting’s bed and found nothing but crumpled up sheets and a deserted pillow.

Had he been so dead to the world that he never even noticed him getting up and leaving the room? He thought it made sense, considering how tired he’d been, and his sleep cycle that most likely wasn’t used to the different time zone yet. Either way, Rogue had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep so easily, and not wanting to keep the others waiting for him, he urged himself out of bed.

With slight trepidation, he descended the stairs, following the sounds of voices and clattering pots and pans, and the smell of breakfast and coffee that led him to the kitchen.

"Morning, sweetie, did you sleep well?" Mrs. Eucliffe chirped at him, taking a moment to look away from the stove and send a smile his way. 

"Good morning," Rogue sat down at the table that was already set and filled with all kinds of food, "I think I went out like a light last night." 

"Yeah, no kidding," grinned Sting, who was standing next to his mother, pouring four cups of coffee. "I tried waking you up half an hour ago, but you were practically comatose." 

Rogue had meant to tell him he should've tried harder, but the words never came out. He just stared as Sting handed him his coffee, and although it couldn't be easier to remember he liked it plain and black, the fact that Sting didn't even ask for confirmation made it seem like only yesterday when he'd last made him coffee. 

"Thanks," was all he could manage, his mind already wandering off in directions he was hoping to avoid. He could either sulk and brood, or make the most out of this holiday and enjoy the time he'd be spending here, and not wanting a repeat of yesterday, he promised himself to aim for the latter. 

"It smells great in here!" Dr. Eucliffe exclaimed as he joined them, hugging his wife from behind and pressing a kiss to her cheek. He peeked into the pan, reaching out to take one of the slices of bacon that were already plated on the counter, but his hand was swatted away playfully. 

"Uh-uh, no stealing!" Mrs. Eucliffe waved her wooden spatula in front of his face, but it took only a few seconds of what Rogue could easily picture as him giving her a pout and a pair of puppy eyes before she caved and fed him a piece anyway. 

Now that everyone was present, they all sat down at the table. Rogue stared at the wide selection of food, different types of bread, and numerous spreads and toppings, both sweet and savory. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a breakfast this extensive, and with so many new things for him to try, he had no idea where to begin. 

~~~ 

Once they were all done eating, Sting had suggested for Rogue to go ahead and take a shower while he helped his mother with the cleanup. Now fully dressed and waiting for Sting to get ready so they could leave, Rogue decided to go outside for some fresh air as he let his breakfast settle. He ended up eating a bit too much, and he could definitely use a smoke. 

He wasn't surprised to find Dr. Eucliffe out on the deck, his pipe in one hand and a book in the other. Rogue had seen him go outside to smoke his pipe a couple of times yesterday, but until now, they had unintentionally taken turns smoking. 

"I was hoping to catch you outside," Dr. Eucliffe smiled at him, "it's nice to have some company that doesn't complain about the smell." 

He put the book away, placing it on the small table in front of him and gesturing to the empty space next to him on the bench swing. "Feel free to sit down, I turned on the terrace heater." 

Rogue complied, sitting next to him before lighting his cigarette, "My mom used to complain to my dad about the smell a lot as well," he said, blowing out a cloud of smoke, "I can only imagine the lecture she'd give me if she found out I started smoking." 

"She doesn't know?"   
  
Rogue shook his head, "I picked up the habit after they left. I actually missed the smell, it was so distinctively my dad's." 

"Ha! Tell Sting that!" 

Rogue snorted, "Sure, then you can tell him I've never heard him complain about the smell before." 

"That brat..." 

Still chuckling, Rogue reached out for the ashtray to tap off his ashes. His gaze fell on the book that was sitting next to it, and upon recognizing the author and title, he immediately perked up. 

"That's a great book! Kemu Zaleon is one of my favorite authors, I've collected all of his works." 

"Really?" Dr. Eucliffe looked at him with pleasant surprise, "So have I! Which one's your favorite? No, wait, let me guess…" 

Rogue had no idea how long they'd been talking and sharing their thoughts about their favorite books when the sliding door opened, and Sting stepped out on the deck, shivering as he wasn't wearing a jacket.

He watched the conversation for a while before deciding to interrupt. "I should have seen this coming, you two are both total book nerds, " he shook his head with equal amounts amusement and disbelief. "Are you coming or what?" 

"Just a minute-" Rogue raised his cigarette- the third one he’d lit this morning, "almost done.”

Unable to counter, Sting just sighed in defeat, looking back and forth between Rogue and his father and ultimately deciding to address the latter. “Do _not_ pick that book up again old man, if we don't leave soon, we're going to hit all sorts of traffic." 

“We’ll be inside shortly,” Dr. Eucliffe smiled innocently, waving his pipe in the air at Sting, “You know son, you might not be so cold if you wore clothes that actually covered your midriff.”

Rogue could tell that Sting wanted to retort something but managed to contain it, replying a rather timid, “Please hurry,” before making his way back inside.

Rogue followed his movements as he left, taking a last hit from his cigarette. He then put it out in the ashtray, not realizing that he was still staring through the glass sliding doors until he received a firm pat on his shoulder.

“We really are glad you came to visit, Rogue. We might have joked about it last night, but he did seem to miss you quite a bit.”

And with that, Dr. Eucliffe collected his book and urged him back inside the house.   
  


~~~  


Regarding holiday decorations, Rogue's hometown settled for the same simple pine garlands and Christmas lights wrapped around the street lanterns and illuminated arches overhanging the passages every year. A big tree in the shopping mall, an even bigger one on the town's square, and of course the individually decorated storefronts and displays. 

He knew Crocus was different, a lot more extravagant, recalling distant memories of a family outing that must've been over a decade ago. Most of the imagery had faded away over time, but he could still remember being mesmerized by all the splendor. And though he had grown out of that childlike wonder, he was currently experiencing similar emotions. 

The Edolian capital was one of the most beautiful cities he had ever visited, a fusion of old and new. Cobblestone roads and historical buildings with ornate gables, oddly enough blending effortlessly with modern structures of smooth concrete and glass. In preparation for the holidays, the city had gone all out with its decorations.   
  
Everywhere he looked, there were garlands filled with ornaments, and there were more lights than Rogue had ever seen in his life, spun across the streets to form walkways, lining the railings of bridges and the fronts of buildings, wrapped around trees and streetlights. 

"Just wait until it gets dark," Sting grinned at him as he took pictures on his phone, as befitted a proper tourist. Then again, a lot of the images he had made were not of the beautiful architecture or the enchanting Christmas scenery. Rogue was good at being stealthy, and he'd managed to snap a few pictures of Sting's parents when they weren't paying attention, checking out the shop windows or pleasantly chatting with each other. Seeing them walk together with linked arms, sharing loving gazes every now and then had made him wistful enough to want to capture the moment. 

And where little over a month ago he had been on the point of deleting every single picture on his phone that had Sting in it, he just had expanded his collection in a moment of weakness. Or five.

When Rogue was sure Sting wasn't looking at him anymore, he scrolled through them quickly, surprised to see they weren't blurry like he'd imagined they'd be. "Yeah," he answered, "I bet it looks... really beautiful."

Sting was about to say something in response when he was startled by the unexpected sound of someone calling his name. He turned towards the voice, his lips immediately quirking into a smile as he seemed to recognize its owner: a girl rushing out of one of the stores to give Sting a hug.

“Sting, I didn’t know you were going to be here today!" she exclaimed, playfully swatting his arm, much to the amusement of Sting’s parents.

“Yeah, we’re showing Rogue the capital,” Sting explained, “and getting some last-minute shopping in.”

"You know how my parents are." Sting shrugged without adding any further explanation leading Rogue to wonder just how close the two were, and as he looked at her more closely, he realized something.

He recognized her from some of the pictures on Sting's bedroom wall, and even then, he'd thought she looked strangely familiar. But it wasn't until she was joined by another girl that he was finally able to make the connection. Following right behind Sting's friend was none other than the girl Rogue had met on the plane, and remembering what she'd said about visiting her sister plus the striking resemblance between the two young women told him everything he needed to know. 

"Oh my God, I know you!" were the words Rogue was so hoping _not_ to hear. "You're that guy who almost hurled on the plane!" 

Begrudgingly he let his pride take the hit. He had no other explanation to give but the truth, and that certainly wasn't happening. "The one and only," he confirmed, his words sounding a bit more cynical than he would've liked. "Small world, isn't it?"

“Wow, what luck!” Sting chimed in sporting a tone Rogue recognized well. This was going to be so bad. How could he get this woman to move on?

“Well, I see you’ve met Sorano,” Sting gestured towards Rogue’s latest source of anxiety, then placed a hand on the other girl’s shoulder, “and this is her sister and also my best friend, Yukino. I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about her.”

Rogue nodded meekly, willing Sorano to take pity on him. He'd just remembered what he'd said he was doing in Edolas, and he was desperately hoping she would keep it to herself. This is why he didn't make a habit of lying, it always came back to bite you in the ass.

“Oh yeah,” Sorano looked from Sting to Rogue, her eyes suddenly narrowing in a way Rogue instantly knew did not bode well for him, “We were all sorts of chummy.”

"What was it you said you were doing here again?" Sorano tapped her finger on her cheek, rhythmically. "Visiting family, wasn't it?"  
  
She made a point of looking around them, but before she could say anything more, help came from an unexpected quarter.

“Hey Sorano, isn’t that Sawyer over there?”

“Sawyer?! Where?” Sorano peered around excitedly, Rogue all but forgotten for the moment.

“Over by the big tree,” Yukino pointed at a group of people, “I think Erik was with him.”

"Oh, come on, Yuki!" Sorano grabbed her sister by the arm and pulled her towards the giant tree, "I want to talk to them, it's been forever!" Yukino managed a small wink and a wave at

Rogue as she was dragged away by her eager sister.

For the first time since Rogue was thirteen years old, he almost had the urge to kiss a girl. Well, not really, but he was very grateful, even though he could see the smirk on Sting’s face.

“Oh, dear. They left before I could ask about the baby,” Mrs. Eucliffe complained.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get your chance soon,” her husband assured her.

“So, you came to see family, huh?” Sting teased.

“She kept chattering on the plane, I just wanted her to stop,” Rogue tried to explain, still mortified by every word that had come out of Sorano’s mouth.

“I can totally see that,” Sting declared with a chuckle, his blue eyes shining with mirth, “Sorano can be a handful.”

They continued walking down the street, Rogue pointedly ignoring Sting's teasing as they followed the elder Eucliffes into shop after shop. They were all beautifully decorated, but there was a limit to the amount of window shopping Rogue could endure. Soon, he began to distract himself by listening to the Christmas music that was playing through the stores’ speakers.

Some of the songs were the familiar ones he'd grown up with, the lyrics translated, but there were others he didn't recognize. After asking Sting about them, he learned they were traditional Edolian Christmas songs. He began to get lost in the melodies and arrangements, breaking them down in his mind into chords until he heard a chuckling behind him.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you go into music mode,” Sting smiled, “I’ve been meaning to ask, did you play a lot of gigs last semester?”

"Actually, I uh, didn't play any," Rogue replied, hurriedly feigning interest in a blue-colored knitted shawl. Once he actually looked at it, he decided it would make a lovely present for Mrs. Eucliffe. He used it to hopefully divert Sting's attention away from their current topic. "Hey, does your mom like shawls?"

"I guess," Sting shrugged, "but you're doing that thing where you change the subject, so I can tell something is up." 

"Nothing is up. I just quit the band, that's all." 

Sting knew he was holding something back, Rogue could tell by the way he looked at him. Skeptical, easily able to recognize Rogue's casual behavior for the facade it was. Rogue could only hope he wouldn't push the issue because the conversation that would follow was bound to put a huge damper on the mood, and to his great relief, Sting settled for the answer he'd been given. 

"Oh, shame," Sting looked over to where his parents were poring over a display, then took a closer look at the shawl, "You know, I think she'd love this, let me see if I can distract her for you."

Sting walked over to his parents and began to talk to them, motioning behind his back for Rogue to go pay.

His transaction took longer than he'd anticipated, the clerk had offered to gift wrap the shawl for him, and on a whim he'd agreed, not wanting Mrs. Eucliffe to see it before Christmas. He found Sting waiting outside the store, and his parents nowhere to be found. 

"Where are your parents?" Rogue asked, looking around to see what store they would be going to next.

“They took off, I told them you were bored,” Sting jokingly stuck out his tongue, laughing and retracting his statement once he had spotted the look of horror on Rogue’s face. “Relax, I’m kidding! I told them you- _we-_ had no interest in watching them obsess over tea sets or whatever it is they look at for God knows how long, so they suggested we do our own thing. We'll meet them for dinner at my mom's favorite restaurant at five." 

"Oh. Okay." Rogue looked down at his watch trying to figure out how long that would be.

And just as he had feared, the awkward silence that had been hanging over them yesterday made its reappearance. After the encounter with Sorano, and the thing with the band, Rogue didn't quite know how to feel about being alone with Sting. The number of questions that were undoubtedly going through both of their heads was only increasing, and Rogue didn't know if he was capable of providing answers should it be the case that Sting used this moment to ask them. 

He remembered the promise he'd made himself that morning and scrambled to come up with a question or a story, anything to avoid the uncomfortable silence. 

"I think I might get a cat when I get back," Rogue announced, surprising even himself by the outburst. It was true, he had been considering it, but that was still a somewhat random thing to say. 

“Yeah?” Sting peered at Rogue’s face for a moment, a slight smile on his face, “I’d love to have a cat. Remember those cute ones they had when we went to the shelter that time? ”

Rogue smiled at the memory, "How I got you out of there without bringing home five cats, I'll never know."

Sting pouted in reply making Rogue's smile stretch even wider. This was better, the silence had shifted from awkward to comfortable. Sting told him some embarrassing stories about Sorano to make up for earlier, and they were soon laughing together. 

Suddenly, Sting stopped moving, his attention caught by something in one of the streets. His excitement grew noticeably, and when Rogue turned to see what had gotten him so riled up, he noticed that the market square at the end of it was filled with all kinds of stands. Food vendors, stalls that sold all sorts of crafts and trinkets, and even a small funfair were gathered together, forming a Christmas market of sorts. 

"Oh man, I haven't been to the fair in years!" Sting marveled. "My parents used to take me every year when I was little, there used to be this cart that sold the most epic- Wait, I think I see it over there! Come on, you have to try this!"

Before Rogue could utter a single word, he was grabbed by the hand and pulled across the street through the crowd of people going to and from the fair. Commotion surrounded them. Sounds, sights, and smells attacked Rogue's sense all at once, but everything just went right by him. His mind simply refused to focus on anything but the fact that Sting was holding his hand and hadn't let go when they had reached the less crowded part of the market. It was just a simple touch, but it was enough to stir the feelings Rogue had been trying to suppress. 

Watching Sting's parents interacting with each other, still displaying the affection of a young couple after years of being together, something Rogue suspected his own parents had grown out of years ago- had evoked a sense of longing he'd been wary of acknowledging. 

Now that he had, he knew the time was nearing when he would have to make a decision one way or the other. He was in love with Sting, that was something he knew before ever setting foot in Edolas, but if there was one thing he’d learned, it was that love could hurt like a bitch. Giving in to his feelings could result in pain even worse than the one he had already endured, so as a defense mechanism, he had armed himself with excuses. 

Roughly six months had passed since their inevitable breakup, and Rogue had been telling himself that Sting likely didn’t feel the same way anymore. And although that notion had been proven false a few times before, there had still been enough reasonable doubt left in Rogue’s mind to fuel his insecurities.

Dr. Eucliffe’s affirmation of Sting’s feelings that morning, however, had begun to break through his barriers. Now here they were, no longer the dragger and the dragged, but walking hand in hand, and seeing Sting looking the happiest Rogue had witnessed since he arrived erased any shred of doubt he had left on that matter. 

It was so frustrating though, why did they have to live so far apart? Rogue mentally sighed. Maybe the idea of a long-distance relationship wasn't so bad, and how long would they really have to sit it out anyway? Sure, Sting had many years of medical school left before he became a doctor, but Rogue only had a year and a half of college to go. If things went well, he could look into moving to Edolas. It would certainly be better than the emptiness he lived in now. 

They reached the cart Sting had been so hyped about, and as he ordered two servings of waffles, he loaded them up with every possible topping, letting go of Rogue's hand so he could pay for them. Rogue didn't even try to rationalize the disappointment he felt. He had ignored his feelings long enough. 

While the sun was starting to set, coloring the sky with deep shades of orange and pink, they finished their treats on a nearby bench. Rogue snorted at the first bite because its taste was exactly as sweet as he'd imagined anything Sting would get this excited about would be. Still, he had to admit it was pretty good. 

"As good as I remember!" Sting praised, getting up from the bench to throw their napkins into a trash can. "Ready to resume our quest for gifts? We don't have much time left before we're meeting my parents for dinner." 

"Sure, let's go," Rogue replied with a small nod. He rose to his feet, immediately reaching for Sting's hand again and intertwining their fingers. There was no missing the smile on Sting's face at the gesture, and feeling encouraged, Rogue moved closer until their arms were brushing together. The cold December weather was no match for the warm, fuzzy feeling that was spreading through him. 

They continued to wind in and out of small shops finding gifts and making several additional trips to the food vendors. Now that Sting had found them, he seemed determined to sample every treat he remembered from past visits. Rogue watched horrified, worried Sting would be stuffed by the time they had to meet his parents for dinner. Then again, they probably knew their son well enough to anticipate the possibility.

The sky began to darken while they were still shopping, and when they exited the large bookseller where Rogue had purchased a copy of Kemu Zaleon's latest book for Dr. Eucliffe, they noticed the holiday lights had come on. Sting was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement, peering at Rogue's face to gauge his reaction to the ostentatious display.

As many lights as he'd thought he'd seen in daylight, there seemed to be twice as many now. They were practically everywhere, illuminating the entire Main Street with a warm golden glow, and Rogue couldn't help but be delighted by their beauty. 

"Wow, that's just - I've never seen anything like that," Rogue managed to exclaim through his awe. His hands fumbled through his pockets, searching for his phone, "let me take a picture." 

But when he opened the camera application, he switched to the front-face camera, closing the distance between the two of them as he threw an arm around Sting's waist and held his phone out. 

"Say cheese," he directed, setting the example with a smile of his own. 

They got carried away taking silly pictures together like they used to, losing track of time and ending up running to the restaurant to get there on time. They struggled to keep hold of their shopping bags, their hands never letting go of each other, even though it would have made their trek much easier.

Rogue could only think that this was the way things should be.


End file.
